Dreaming about the predator
by kellysimona
Summary: Dramione with a pinch of Romione. Hermione experiences a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions when she meets the perfect stranger between the books. Yet, strangers have secrets and figuring out his isn't easy. OOC, AH


As the man of her dreams walked into the café, she threw herself under the table. Hermione couldn't figure out what was going on. All she knew was that she was scared and wanted to get away as soon as possible. Later she'd have time to think about her situation. She pretended to tie her sneakers, waiting for the perfectly polished shoes to walk by her. The fraction of a second that these shoes spent hesitating in front of her table was enough to set her into a full-blown panic attack. Fortunately, the man directed himself to the bathroom, giving Hermione enough time to calmly walk out, while her head was going through the entire chain of events yet another time.

It all began on a cloudy morning, while she was browsing the library for new books. Her expression was nothing short of startled when she saw another person scanning the books in the Russian Literature section. Yet, what caught her truly unprepared was the sight of this man. He was the type of guy that she always had a crush on in high school. The guy that sits alone in the back, too cute to be one of the nerds, yet too smart to be one of the jocks. She shook her head, reminding herself that this wasn't school. Looking at her ring, she thought of her lovely Ron, the person she's willing to spend the rest of her life with. Still, only a glance at this stranger stirred her imagination. She forced herself to move away, tugging at her diamond ring the entire while.

Shortly after, she saw him again. Drinking her favorite cappuccino at a tiny café she saw him walk in. He was different from the people she was used to. It was easy to see him as the hero of a romantic novel. She could almost see him on a white horse. Her thoughts went back to the bookstore. In her opinion, there was no place more romantic. And between the bookshelves filled with Russian novels was where she met him. All of a sudden she wanted to know this man. It surprised her how she felt the need to stand up and talk to him. Just in time she caught herself and she turned her thoughts to her coffee. However she couldn't stop her mind. She found herself comparing him to Ron and the feeling of safety he gave her. For a moment she thought about what she might have with the stranger. Then she forced herself to stop. This man had no business in her head and even less beside Ron.

In a matter of weeks, she began seeing him everywhere. It seemed as if he had a knack for visiting her most loved bookstores, cinemas and bakeries. It seemed to her that wherever she liked going alone, he was inevitably there. Surprisingly, this thought didn't frighten her at all. In fact, she enjoyed fantasizing about his life. With time she began to form a picture of his preferences. However, she always made sure to be as discreet as possible. For some reason she shied away from the idea of him noticing her. She guessed her fiancée had something to do with it.

And actually it was Ron's involvement that opened her eyes. That night she had finally convinced him to accompany her to one of her favorite restaurants. Being used to the stranger's presence, she didn't pay much attention to him. But Ron did. He mentioned that a man was constantly looking at her. When she saw who it was, it baffled her. She told Ron the story of her and the man. Except she skipped the fact that she felt like she knew this man. And she didn't mention how frequently she had wondered about him and his past.

What she saw in Ron's eyes was not jealousy. Worse, it was fear. In that moment she realized that this man was a stalker. Her stalker. Not wanting to admit it to herself, she continued with her life as usual. She remained calm every time he walked into the café after her. Her appearance was composed when she saw him in the bookstore going through her favorite book. But her insides were trembling. She could feel his eyes boring into the back of her neck. Her fantasies about him became nightmares.

Ron's worry was what pushed her under the café table. Ron's alarm drove her out of her lovely café, running for her life. But her own fear compelled her never to return to any of her favorite places, the places where he had followed her.


End file.
